Means for suspending lamps



24a. SUPPORTS Dec. 24,

J. T. SEYLER MEANS FOR SUSPENDING LAMPS Filed April 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l gQym/KNVETOR, Y

.l [i l I' ATTORNEYS.

(ci Alfv Y me. SUPPORTS Dec. 24, 1935. J. T. SEYLER A* MEANS FOR SUSPENDING LAMPS Filed April 14, 1933 2 SheeS--SheefI 2 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE YS.

'filip .DPORTS' Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR SUSPENDING LAMPS Application April 14, 1933, Serial No. 666,156

8 Claims.

My invention relates to means for supporting and/ or suspending electric light fixtures or lamps from poles or masts, and more particularly to mast arms of the type wherein a movable trolley or carriage carrying lamp-supporting means is movable along the arm by a sprocket and chain drive, the latter being actuated by a crank.

Among the objects of the present invention are, to provide simple and eflicient tension adjusting means for the driving chain; means for supporting the flights of the drive chain; means for maintaining the lamp-supporting carriage at desired points along the arm; and to provide a simple construction that may be conveniently operated by the lamp tender from a pole or mast without interference with traflic.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an application of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my invention, showing it applied to a pole or mast;

Fig. 2, a top plan view;

Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 4, a part plan and a part sectional View` the section being taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a detail front elevational view, particularly showing a portion of the carriage and detachable lamp-supporting members; and

Fig. 6, a View similar to Fig. 5, showing the rear elevation of the carriage.

As illustrated and as preferred, the mast arm isA secured to' a pole 5 by means of a through bolt 6 and a bracket 1. The hollow mast arm 8, made of any suitable material, as sheet metal, is formed to provide a longitudinally extending slot or space 9 between the side walls thereof and an enclosed track I0. The outer end of the arm is closed by a cap Il, and I2 designates a pivoted connecting member for receiving the outer end of a brace rod I3, the latter extending from the pole to said member I2.

Disposed partly within the hollow arm 8 and having a portion depending therefrom through the space 9 thereof, is a carriage I4. This carriage or trolley is mounted on rollers or wheels I5 adapted to travel on the track I0 in its movements away from and towards the pole 5 and its construction and its function, together with the associated parts, form important and characteristic features of the present invention.

As illustrated, the carriage I4 includes a skeleton hollow body having spaced-apart gudeways I6 and ll, through which the drive chain I8 passes, an opening I9 having an inclined bottom portion extending from one end inwardly and terminating in an enlarged portion 2|. Depending from portion 2 I, I provide a cored-out member 22, two walls 23 thereof having their outer faces formed fiat and with flanges 24 for receiving separated embracing members 25 of a detachable lamp hanger 26, the latter comprising a threaded end portion 2I for engagement with a lighting fixture 28.

One of the walls of the member 22 is formed with a projection 29 to which a wire-attaching bracket a is secured by a bolt 30 passed through 5 the projection and the member 22. 3l designates a bolt for detachably securing the lamp hanger to member 22. It will be evident that the lamp hanger may be readily detached from the carriage by the removal of the bolt 3| and a new 10 hanger adapted, for example, for a different size lamp may be substituted.

In addition to the parts mentioned, the carriage includes an open-ended chamber 32 and a wall 33 having a rounded terminal 34 merging into a 15 wall 35 of chamber 32. This chamber extends below the hollow mast arm and is preferably disposed at an inclination to the longitudinal axes of the arm.

'Ihe drive chain I8 is mounted for operation on 20 a fixed drive sprocket 38, the latter being mounted and rigidly connected with a rotatable drive shaft 3l located on the mast arm near its end adjacent the pole. The construction of the drive shaft 3'I and the manner of mounting the same on the arm 25 8 is particularly shown by Fig. 4. As illustrated, the reduced end portions of the shaft are mounted in bearings 33 carried on opposite walls of the arm, and at one end the shaft is provided with an enlargement 39 which extends beyond the arm 30 and is formed with fiat faces. 40 designates a one-piece crank arm directly pivotally connected to the enlarged portion 39 by a pivot pin 4I, thus permitting a movement of said crank arm relatively to the shaft 3l, so that it may be swung 3') from operative position to locking position.

The drive chain extends longitudinally of the hollow arm 8 from the drive sprocket to an idler pulley 42 mounted adjacent the opposite or outer end of the mast arm. 40

In passing from sprocket 36 to pulley 42, a flight of the chain passes through the gudeways I6 and Il of the carriage, wherein it may be supported at points intermediate of the sprocket and pulley 42, thus preventing any interference with the movement of the carriage. The respective ends of the chain are anchored or connected to a member 43 of a chain tension adjusting mechanism by means of hook elements 44 and 45.

The adjusting mechanism is operable within chamber 32 and, in addition to member 43, it includes a threaded rod 46 designed to cooperate with an internally threaded opening in member 43, whereby said member is moved in the desired direction to effect the desired tension on the chain. It will be noted that a movement of member 43 through the connecting elements 44 and 45 simultaneously acts on each end of the chain to effect the desired tension adjustment thereof; and, due to this construction, the tension of the chain may be adjusted to a. greater degree. It further provides means whereby the drive sprocket may be positioned on the mast much nearer the pole than heretofore, and does away with any projecting adjusting means adjacent the pole that might interfere with linemen servicing the line.

41 designates a cap or closure for the chamber 32 through which a reduced end 48 of the rod 46 projects. The projecting portion of the rod carries an operating wing-nut 49, and 50 designates a collar on rod 46 contacting with the inner face of the cap 41.

From the member 43 or the element 44 thereof of the adjusting mechanism, the chain is passed over the rounded terminal 34 and the Wall 33, from whence it travels over the drive sprocket. From the idler pulley 42, the chain passes into opening i9 and onto the bottom portion 20 and thence to member 43, to which the end is anchored by means of element 45, thus bringing the chain ends into parallel relationship for simultaneous adjusting movement by means of said member 43 and its screw 46.

For the purpose of locking the carriage to prevent movement thereof along the arm, I employ a pivotally mounted gravity movable locking hook element 5I suspended from a pin 52 carried by the mast arm. This element has a projecting portion beyond the pivot, and terminates in a flat abutment 53 adapted for engagement with an inner face of the mast arm. The locking element is designed to co-act with the pivotallyV mounted one-piece crank arm.

Fig. 3 shows the crank arm engaged by the locking element 5|, and in the dotted line position of Fig. 4, the crank arm is in position for rotating the sprocket shaft and the sprocket thereon. By pivoting the crank arm directly to tne drive shaft as described, the said arm may be conveniently moved from operative position to the position for engagement with the locking element and from locked position to operative position.

The construction described enables the crank.

arm, when moved from operative position, to contact with the lower rounded or cam surface 54 of the locking element, thus moving the element from its locking position of Fig. 3 suciently vto enable the handle portion b of the crank arm to enter and be received in the opening 55 of the;

said element. It will be noted that, after the handle portion is in register with the opening 55, the element 5| by its own weight is returned to its normal locking position.

I claim:

l. In a lamp support, the combination with' a mast arm, a fixed drive sprocket and a xed idler pulley mounted on-the arm, a carriage movable along the arm interposed between the sprocket and the pulley, a drive chain extending over the sprocket and pulley, a guide and chain supporting means on the carriage, and chain tension adjusting means on the carriage including a movable member to which the ends of the chain are attached, means for moving said member, and means for rotating the drive sprocket.

2. In a lamp support, the combination with a mast arm, a xed drive sprocket and a fixed idler pulley mounted on the arm adjacent opposite ends thereof, a carriage movable along the arm and interposed between the sprocket and the pulley, a drive chain extending over the sprocket and pulley, said carriage havingV spaced-apart' means for guiding the chain between the ksaid sprocket and pulley, chain tension adjusting i means on the carriage to which the ends of the chain are attached, and means for rotating the 5 drive sprocket.

3. In a lamp support, the combination with a mast arm, of a carriage movable along said arm,

a sprocket and chain drive for the carriage including a xed sprocket drive shaft and a sprockm et thereon, a crank arm pivotally connected with the drive shaft adapted to be swung on the drive shaft to operative and locking positions, a single gravity actuated pivoted locking element suspended from the mast arm for engagement with 15 the crank arm, and chain tension adjusting means on the carriage to which the ends of the chain are attached.

4. In a lamp support, the combination with a mast arm, of a carriage movable along said arm, 20 a sprocket and chain drive for the carriage including a iixed sprocket drive shaft and a sprocket thereon, a crank arm pivotally connected with the drive shaft adapted to be swung on the drive shaft to operative and locking positions, a sin- 2 gle gravity actuated pivoted locking element suspended from the mast arm for engagement with the crank arm, said locking member movable by a movement of the crank arm to receive said arm, and chain tension adjusting means on the car- 30 riage to which the ends of the chain are attached.

5. In a lamp support, the combination with a mast arm, of a carriage movable along said arm, a-sprocket and chain drive for the carriage including a xed sprocket drive shaft and a sprock- 35 et thereon, a crank arm pivotally connected with the drive shaft adapted to be swung on the drive shaft to operative and locking positions, a single gravity actuated pivoted locking element suspended from the mast arm for engagement with the crank arm, said locking element having an abutment for engagement with the interior of the mast arm, and chain tension adjusting means on the carriage to which the ends of the' chain are attached.

6. The combination with a hollow mast arm, of a lamp-supporting carriage movable along said arm, a sprocket and chain drive for the carriage disposed within the hollow arm, said chain having movableA terminal ends, a movable member adjustably mounted on the carriage and engaging said chain ends for tension adjustment of the chain.

7. The combination with a hollow mast arm, of a lamp-supporting carriage movable along said arm, a sprocket and chain drive for the carriage disposed within the hollow arm comprising a fix edly mounted drive sprocket and a fixedly mounted idler pulley having a chain extending therebetween, said chain having movable terminal ends, a movable member adjustably mounted on the carriage and engaging said chain ends for tension adjustment of the chain.

8. The combination with a hollow mast arm, of a lamp-supporting carriage movable along said arm, a sprocket and chain drive for the carriage disposed within the hollow arm, said chain having a movable terminal end, a movable member adjustably mounted on the carriage and engaging said chain end for tension adjustment of the chain.

JOHN T. SEYLER. 

